1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processor, a data processing method, and a computer product thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
For printing directly or via a server on a printing device such as a printer, a multifunction product, and a copier from a data processor such as a personal computer (PC), print settings and print data are sent from the data processor to the printing device so that the printing device can print the print data on a recording medium (sheet). In this case, the data processor having a printer driver compatible with the printing device displays print setting items on a print setting screen through a user interface (UI) of the printer driver. Setting values are set for the respective print setting items. The data processor sends the print settings to the printing device along with the print data. The printing device prints the print data based on the setting values corresponding to the print settings.
In recent years, networking using, for example, a local area network (LAN) is progressing rapidly, and a data processor including PCs and word processors is connected to printing devices via such a network. The data processor carries out printing using the printing devices on the network.
To use a plurality of printing devices on the network, the data processor needs a printer driver compatible with the printing devices to be installed. After specifying print settings with the printer driver and creating print data, the data processor has to issue a print request by sending the print data and the print settings to one of the printing devices.
If a printer driver compatible with printing devices of a plurality of models is installed on the data processor, an printer-driver installation work can be reduced. However, such a printer driver compatible with a plurality of models supports only the greatest common factor function of the models. Due to this, settable print setting contents are restricted and usability is reduced.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-154990 discloses a conventional technology, in which a print attribute setting file is stored in a storage unit in association with printing purpose data. The print attribute setting file contains data on a pair of a printing device and print attributes settable in the printing device. The print attribute setting file is updated via a network and is selected based on the printing purpose data. The selected print attribute setting file is used as print settings.
In the conventional technology, however, print setting data unique to each of printing devices on the network is stored as the print attribute setting file. Thus, as printing devices on the network increase, the number of print attribute setting files also increases, which places pressure on the storage capacity of the storage unit. Moreover, the print attribute setting file of a frequently used printing device and the print attribute setting file of a hardly used printing device are managed together. Thus, unnecessary print attribute setting files are stored in the storage unit, which also places pressure on the storage capacity of the storage unit.